AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It’s not up my ass, I left it at Aaron’s penthouse, apparently.
Do I tell Coach about my new arrangement with Zoe? Tristan said to not tell anyone outside of our circle, and it makes sense. The less people who know, the better. I can’t have this getting leaked and everyone finding out I bribed some girl to help make it look like I give a fuck about relationships.
Some girl?
Not just some girl. It’s Zoe. My Zoe. The only girl I have ever wanted but can never truly have. And now...what am I supposed to do? Just accept this situation? Explore the possibilities of a world where we could actually be together? But the harsh reality will be lurking in the shadows, reminding me that none of it is real. Eventually, it will come to an end, and I’ll walk away forever changed again.
How am I supposed to live without her now that I’ve had a taste? I won’t be able to let her go this time. It’s not in me to just move on.
There is no moving on from Zoe.
Maybe she’ll back out.
She won’t. That’s not like her.
I skate to the back of the net, juggling my hockey stick nervously between my hands as I catch Liam’s sympathetic eyes.
Focus.
Except the more I tell myself to stop thinking about her, the more she occupies my mind. I’m secretly hoping she’ll change her mind. Hoping she’ll text me after practice and tell me she can’t go through with it. That she hates my guts and doesn’t want to help me.
I don’t know if I can survive her walking away again.
She did it once. Just left me in that cold, dark cabin after the type of night we shared together. I was furious for days, thinking I had done something to hurt her. What if I had traumatized her? Pushed her too far? One minute she was there, and the next, she was gone, as though I had imagined the entire thing.
But if she doesn’t back out, I can’t either. I need to fix this. This sport means everything to me. It’s my life. It’s what brings me joy and gives me purpose in this fucked-up game we call life.
My head is straight. I know I’ll behave. Play it cool like I used to back in the day until the rumors settle down and we can all slip back into our old lives. Even if it fucking kills me, I won’t step out of line. I made a promise to Aaron, and I won’t do anything to hurt him. He’s my brother.
Smack.
Pain hits the side of my face, and my vision goes black before everything becomes blurry. My body sways as a feeling of weightlessness takes hold of me right before I slam into the boards, my chest tightening as I try to blink through the veil of darkness covering my eyes.
“Fuck.”
“Shit! Dom! Man, I’m so sorry. Are you all right?”
My head and shoulder are pounding as I slide down, leaning my back against the support.
“Get him off the ice.” That’s Noa’s voice.
“I’m fine. Just give me a second.”
My vision comes back slowly, and I take in the sight of Noa kneeling in front of me, his arm under my shoulder as he tries to hold me up.
“What the fuck was that, Lewis? Did you suddenly forget how to play? Off the ice. NOW.”
“Coach, I’m fine. It was just an accident. I wasn’t paying attention.” Adjusting the helmet strap on my chin, I squint up at Coach, who doesn’t seem the least bit convinced.
First the PR scandal, and now this.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
“No, you haven’t been paying attention all practice. Now, let’s go. You might have a concussion.”
I grit my teeth, knowing talking back right now isn’t going to help me. I don’t have a concussion, but I know the protocol is not up for debate. Coach watches with his arms crossed while Noa and Liam help me off the ice as I try to breathe through the waves of dizziness.
Okay, maybe a small concussion, but no one needs to know. It’ll be gone by tomorrow, and I don’t need to get benched because of a tiny, stupid oversight on my end.
